MontjuГЇc and the majestic Palau Nacional (MNAC) attract all of the attention of tourists and locals strolling around PlaГ§a Espanya. It is not surprising that few walk up to the CaixaForum Social and Cultural Centre in Barcelona, which is housed in the peculiar modernist factory, built by Josep Puig i Cadafalch, and regularly holds interesting art and history exhibitions.
The building with turrets, weР°ther vanes, delicate wrought ironwork and large windows resembles the Castell dels Tres Dragons in Parc de la Ciutadella more then a factory commissioned by the industrial magnate Casimir Casaramona. Before its closure in 1919 it had been fully functional and had won numerous awards for its creator, Josep Puig i Cadafalch. After the closure the factory stood abandoned until in 1940 a police station moved in. In 1963 La Caixa savings bank bought the building and got it declared a historic monument in 1976. In 2002 CaixaForum Barcelona at last opened its doors for visitors who come to numerous exhibitions dedicated to Catalan artists and international talents alike, to special lectures and seminars. A collection of photos and artifacts inside tells the story of the factory, gives some information on Casimir Casaramona and on Josep Puig i Cadafalch himself.
Рђdmission to Caixa Forum is free for clients of La Caixa bank and 4€ for general public. The exhibitions are regularly changed and exhibits rotated. There are usually no crowds or jams, despite the fact that CaixaForum Barcelona regularly has works of Salvador DalГ, Pablo Picasso and Antoni TГ pies on display. Exhibition halls are connected not only by hallways, but also by open-air passageways and small cobbled courtyards where visitors can rest on one of many benches or play hide-and-seek with children – Caixa Forum is very family-friendly. An obligatory trip up to the roof of the factory will reward you with a fantastic view of the Palau Nacional, MontjuГЇc, and the rest of Barcelona. Watch your step: the floor of the roof is undulating – yet another creative godsend from the Modernist movement.

CaixaForum Madrid
